Ganges, Varanasi, Vadodara & Beyond....

For people who belong to or who’ve been to Varanasi (or Kashi) will know how & what Ganges is.

For those who haven't let me try & explain. “Ganges” or “Ganga” as its commonly called is a holy river which owes its origins to the Hindu lord “Shiva” and he is known as “Kashi Vishwanath” – The lord of Kashi. There is a big temple of Kashi Vishwanath in the midst of the city, quite near to the Ghats. The “Ghats” (about 80 or so) as the periphery of the river bank is known spans the entire city tracing each curve & bend the river undergoes.

I may consider myself lucky to have been born there, though I have not had the opportunity to live there and connect to the place on a deeper level. I was born in Varanasi & brought up in Vadodara.

I sometimes wonder there is so much similarity in the two. Baroda & Benaras are the common names for both places. Both are also known as Vadodara & Varanasi. Varanasi is the temple city & Vadodara is famous for its palatial buildings, gardens & the Banyan trees (Vadodara literally means the City of Banyan trees).

Earliest conscious memories of Varanasi are of the times I was a kid (IIIrd or IVth Grades), we used to go there from Dehra Dun (where dad used to work) and Vadodara (where dad was transferred from Dehra Dun) during the summer vacations. These typically were short (2-3 week) holidays during which we used to visit the grandparents of both sides (maternal & paternal), though we used to enjoy more with Nana & Nani than anyone else.

During one such trip had gone to Sarnath (it’s a prominent place of importance for Buddhists…its where Buddha had given his first Diksha under a tree). It was a sprawling complex with foreigners swarming across the complex.

Then got busy with the Board exams (Xth & XIIth) and then four years of college. By the time I could visit again, 9 long years had elapsed. I went there in April 2001 when I was there to see Pratibha (my wife) just before our engagement. That was a trip I will never forget. It lasted all of just 4 or 5 days, since that was the only leave I was able to get from my job. I was 24 that time and it was the first time I was on my own during a trip to Varanasi. I remember one evening I went to the Ghats & stood there watching as the sun was setting as if it was returning to its elements in an orangish red shade. As darkness enveloped the place, lakhs of diyas were seen along the ghats stretching into many kilometers. Chant of the bhajans, aartis and sound of cymbals & temple bells from some of the more prominent Ghats such as ‘Dashashwamedh’ were audible even as I was seated at ‘Assi’ Ghat. The feeling was heavenly.

I sometimes wonder if I will have an opportunity to stay at Varanasi anytime in future. I am not sure, there are not many good Industries or companies around & the place is gaining notoriety due to the anti-social elements & local mafia.

So as long as its career zindabad, I doubt but who knows, I might get lucky.

On the other hand talking of Vadodara , where I have spent almost 19 yrs now, I feel lucky to have known & lived in Vadodara. Its got that element of peace in it & a middle class feel, its neither pompous nor very costly to live in....maybe I have this view because I have grown up here. Don't know. Of course other places as Bangalore & Mumbai have their own pace of life & quality too. For that matter though personally it was a struggle for me in Mumbai, as far as the quality of life, accomodation & travel were concerned but i really enjoyed the learnings I had from there. One even learns a lot from day to day experiences there in the local trains on how to manage in the crowd. Of course that's not rocket science, anybody learns it with time...but it was fun & I really enjoyed.

Remembered from Mumbai, I had the most fast paced phase in my life when at Mumbai. Khushi (daughter) was born there, I was in my second job of the career. I was there for almost about 2 years. It was a mad rush. I sometimes miss that life too. Best part was that the city made me punctual…very punctual.

Surat also was a not so bad experience, its one of the fastest growing cities in India today. Personal life was great, me, Prati & Khushi (daughter) we’ve had some great times there. There were days when Khushi would just refuse to sleep in the evening & then I had to drive her around in the car on the silky smooth roads for her to fall asleep. I also enjoyed those weekend getaways on the highway from Surat to Vadodara & back. Though the Surat experience was marred on some other counts, Surat itself was not responsible for that per se. I stayed there for just 9 months & the gestation was over, so to speak. I returned to Vadodara this year in April. Now that I am here all my friends have moved out of here.

I’ve been having this gypsy feeling over the last 5-6 years ever since I got into a job. Let’s see it will be Vadodara or Varanasi ultimately or some other entirely new destination. At least for the next 3-4 years have planned to stay put at Vadodara.

Zindagiiiii yun hui basar tanhaaaaaa, Kaaafilaa saath aur safar tanhaaaaa….